Happenings of Hawthorne: Part II
by killerbee07
Summary: And the story goes on... dun dun dun! Note: summary of this is pretty much the same as the summary on part 1 so I'm not going to type it out. ON HIATUS!
1. Pursuit

*****IMPORTANT***: IF YOU HAVE NOT READ PART I, THEN THIS WILL NOT MAKE A LICK OF SENSE! IF YOU _HAVE_ READ PART I, WELCOME! GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN! **

**Chapter One- Pursuit **

**The Next Morning:**

Thea woke to a mood completely opposite than the freezing terror of the night before.

She was warm and rested and somewhere in the night the sleep that had started off rocky and filled with nightmares had turned comfortable and deep. There was a pair of arms around her, she knew, that should definitely not be there. But she couldn't bring herself to move.

She burrowed in deeper and tried to sink back into unconsciousness- but alas, it wasn't happening. Thea finally resigned to opening her eyes, and when she did, she saw that Eric was awake as well. He starred down at her with those big, green eyes and a small smile on his face.

Thea debated whether or not she should bolt up and act ashamed at being at rest in a man's arms. She couldn't. She wanted to stay there forever, no matter how improper the notion was.

Eric pulled her closer and a small smile pulled at her lips. She settled back into his arms and sighed. She was loath to break the comfortable silence, at the risk of being forced out of Eric's embrace, but Thea knew she had to get it over with. "I…" Thea bit her lip. "I don't know where to start."

"The beginning?" Eric suggested.

Thea shook her head. "There are several."

"Well, then, just explain what happened last night." Eric said, grapping her hand and holding it with the arm that wasn't wrapped around her.

"I heard snoring, and at first I thought it was David," Eric smiled at that and looked across the room at the still sleeping stable boy, "But then I realized it was off beat. So I turned to you, only it wasn't you either. So I listed more closely and realized it was coming from deeper within the cave. I followed it until I felt a slight breeze, and thought that I had reached the other side of the rock wall. Only…" Thea trailed off. "It wasn't breeze, it was breath. Eric, something gigantic is back there, and the _feeling_… it was so evil." Thea shook her head. "And… I think I woke it up."

**-0-**

The cart ceased to rattle around the time the sun began to rise.

Gillian's blindfold was still tied tightly around her eyes, so she couldn't see anything, but the sound of waves resounded in her ears.

Gillian winced as hands pushed her forward. She stumbled in the darkness, not knowing what kind of ground her feet might meet.

"Is this all of them? Only three?" An unfamiliar voice inquired.

"Yep." The man that had scolded Mare answered.

"Where's Lily?" The first voice asked.

"Don't know. We lost her about a day back." The man answered, a slight quiver invading his voice. "I assume she's taking a different route."

"Hmm," The first voice said after a minute. "Well, load them up."

Gillian was herded into a second cart and whimpered when a shard of wood impaled her arm.

"Don't worry," The unfamiliar voice said from the door of the cart. "Only a day till we reach the port, and after we get to the island, no more wood."

**-0-**

His lips moved against hers, their hearts beating in unison.

"Please," Galen broke the kiss, breathing heavily, to plead. "Keller, please. I'm begging you."

Keller pulled his lips down to hers for one last, chaste kiss before they continued their argument. She sighed and stepped away. "I can't, you know that."

"You can," Galen insisted, knowing it was futile. "They have things under control-"

"And they need all the help they can get to make sure it stays that way." Keller touched his cheek gently. "We'll meet again, I promise. But right now we have to separate. The shifters need you somewhere safe, and I need to be here. I'm a security guard, Galen, I have to do my job- now especially."

"I can get a new security guard, I can get a hundred new ones to take your place," Galen stepped forward and placed his hands on her shoulders, gripping her. "Just, please. Come with me. You belong with me."

"I do, but…" Keller trailed off, searching for the right words. "Remember when you wanted to go to Bunny's memorial, and when I said no, you asked me if I served you why I would not consent to your wishes?"

"You told me that sometimes what I wished and what was best for me sometimes conflicted." Galen said quietly.

"Exactly," Keller said and leaned into him, breathing in his scent.

"But being apart isn't what's best for me." Galen locked his arms around his soulmate.

"No, maybe not for you, but it is best for the hundreds of confused, homeless people I have sworn to protect." Keller's head burrowed into the crook of Galen's neck, so her words were muffled. "I wish we could think about us, I wish we came first, but we don't. I can't come with you."

Galen said nothing.

Keller tried to push away but found Galen's arms were impossible to break out of- so she settled. "We still have until your parents show up," Keller reminded him.

"And then I'm off to some secluded, depressing location devoid of anyone with a personality." Galen shook his head. "And no doubt, it will be someplace where 'incidentally' a suitable girl will be staying."

"You won't be thrust into the paths of pretty court princesses for the rest of your life. I will be your queen, someday, Galen." Keller sighed. "But today cannot be that day."

**-0-**

"For the last time, I'm not letting you go back there again." Eric held tight to Thea's hand.

"I have to, Eric," Thea pulled, only hurting her wrist.

"Eric's right," David put in. "If there really is some big, evil beast back there, then it's too dangerous."

"I woke it up," Thea cried. "Whatever harm it does will rest on my shoulders. You know I can't live with that kind of guilt," Thea looked pleadingly at Eric.

He shook his head. "And if you get hurt, I couldn't live with knowing I let you go back there to face that thing."

"If it's awake, then it's most likely long gone," Thea reasoned. "All I want is to go back there and find out what we're dealing with. We can argue with how to proceed from there."

"And what if it hasn't left?" David asked. "What then? We aren't prepared or equipped to kill this thing, if it really is as bad as you say."

"Thea, listen to me," Eric brought her hand to his cheek. "We can go back to the academy, and get help there."

"Who," Thea demanded. "The fire likely wiped out half the students and staff- they will have no one to spare- especially for a quest such as this. A giant monster? They won't take us seriously. They will call us delusional and confused and in shock from the recent events." Thea pulled at her hand again, and this time Eric let it go. "This is my problem. I have to fix it."

Eric closed his eyes. "If we can't stop you, then we will accompany you." Thea grinned. "But I go first," Eric ordered.

Thea, her gratefulness unhindered by his request, stepped forward to peck him on the cheek. Then, throwing her arms around him, said, "Thank you. You do not know how relieved I am to not be going into this alone."

Eric simply nodded and turned his head into Thea's hair. He knew it was inappropriate, he was not even courting her, but he couldn't help himself.

David cleared his throat and Thea backed away. Eric sent a glare at the other boy.

"David," Thea said, "I would not commend you if you wished go back to Hawthorne. I know you worry about Gillian."

David hesitated, and then said. "We stick together."

Thea smiled. "Thank you."

Eric peered down the tunnel that led to the beast's lair. "Come on, then, the sooner we start, the sooner it will be over."

**-0-**

Rashel's descent into madness began the moment she agreed to Ash's proposal.

"Honestly," She hissed as they pushed through the thick foliage of the forest. "For a creature of the night, you're surprisingly noisy."

"Well, excuse me if I'm tired." Ash said sarcastically, the stress of the day had almost snapped him in half.

"We're both tired," Rashel turned to face him. "But fatigue does not excuse us from bumbling about like drunkards. We must stay as silent as possible, who knows what creatures may have made their home in these woods."

"If you would just let me rest-" Ash began.

Rashel cut him off. "We cannot afford to waste time, nor can we set up camp in this part of the forest."

"Tell me why we decided to go this way again," Ash moaned and pushed a sharp branch out of his path.

"The road is to risky- who knows what sort of people will be headed toward Hawthorne. After the fire, I'm almost certain there will be more than a few priests, wishing to consecrate the place, perhaps a few curious night people. We can't chance being recognized." She sent a cold look back at him. "But I understand if this is too much-"

"No," Ash protested angrily. "I will do whatever it takes to get Mary- Lynnette back. Even if it means I have to team up with a vicious psycho killer who has a strong aversion to good humor."

Rashel, instead of shooting back a fiery retort, quickened her pace (much to Ash's dismay.)

**-0-**

Mare's throat itched it was so dry. She shifted from her back to her side then to her back again, never finding a comfortable position. Her wrists were bleeding due to the tight ropes that bound her hands, and her cheeks were tearstained.

But none of that was why she was now so deep in despair.

She couldn't feel Ash.

He was gone.

No matter how hard she pushed and reached, the chord that attached their minds was all but gone and never to be found again. The hope she'd felt just the day before, the hope and near certainty Ash would find her, was now fading away.

She opened her eyes and looked around. In the time she'd been imprisoned she'd at least managed to get the blindfold far enough down that she could see over the top of the cloth.

Hannah stirred in the corner. "Hannah!" Mare whispered under her breath.

"Mare?" Hannah replied groggily. "What time is it?"

"How am I supposed to know," Mare grumbled under her breath. "I'm guessing the sun's still up, as the birds have not yet stopped chirping."

Hannah frowned and cocked her head.

"Noisy, aren't they?" Mare rolled her eyes. "They've been at it for a while now. They just keep going- all together."

A small smile split Hannah's otherwise grim face. "Those are frogs, Mary- Lynnette."

"Oh," Mary- Lynnette said. If she were in any other situation, she would have been embarrassed, but right now she just couldn't bring herself to care.

Hannah rubbed her head against the cart, working the blindfold up until she could see properly. "How's Gill?"

"Asleep," Mare replied, casting an anxious glance at the smaller girl. "She seems to be taking this well." She said slowly.

Hannah nodded. "As well as you can take a situation like this."

Mare sent a searching look around the cart, then leaned forward. "Listen, Hannah, the people who took us, I think they're employees of Lily Redfern's, and I don't think Lily…" Mare bit her lip, trying to decide how she should phrase her thought.

It turned out, she wouldn't have to. "You don't think Lily is human?" Hannah guessed. "Because those are my sediments exactly."

"I think she's a vampire." _I know she's a vampire,_ Mare thought.

Hannah nodded, taking Mary- Lynnette's assumption in stride. Then it clicked.

"You knew? You know?" Mare asked, disbelievingly. "How? Who told you?"

Hannah sighed. "It's a very long story- and one that I don't have, at the moment, the strength to tell." She shifted. "I'm assuming Ash told you?"

"Yes," Mary- Lynnette confirmed Hannah's suspicion. "How did you know?"

Hannah grinned. "It makes the most sense, apart from maybe Jeremy. Ash spent hours upon hours wooing you- and although he played it off as nothing special, I know what he really felt for you. What he really feels for you. You can't keep these kinds of secrets from someone you care so deeply about."

Mare sighed and closed her eyes. "Was it really that obvious?"

Hannah gave a soft laugh. "No, you two did a pretty good job hiding it, although you did have several fatal slip ups."

"And those were…?" Mare prompted. She liked hearing about Hannah talk about her relationship with Ash. Well, relationship was a rather loose term, and Mare wasn't quite sure what she had with Ash, but whatever it was, Hannah gave the whole ordeal a sense of solidity and finality that had only ever existed in her heart before.

"When Ash warned you to stay away from Jeremy. I know you were too furious to see it, but he was genuinely worried, which was a major tip off as Ash never worries about anyone but himself."

Mare found herself thinking back to that night. She _had_ been furious; she'd been enraged beyond reckoning that Ash- selfish, crude Ash Redfern- would dare accuse the saintly Jeremy Lovett of something so vile as torture then murder- and of his own sweetheart no less.

But he had been right.  
>She remembered how she'd felt as it all crashed down on her. Bunny's death and Jeremy's betrayal. And on top of that- confusion as to why Ash was helping her.<p>

And guilt. The inescapable feeling that she _was_ in fact the cause of Gretel's death. That Jeremy- sweet, forgiving Jeremy- would for always blame her.

Hannah continued, oblivious to Mare's dark thoughts. "And all those times we caught him starring at you, and all those times he helped you- whether you knew it was him or not."

Mare thought back to when he'd saved her from the wrath of Ms. Ordello, then paused. "'Whether I knew it was him or not'? When…?"

Hannah grinned. "You have no idea how many times he's rescued you from scrubbing chamber pots, though he tried very hard to be inconspicuous about it."

Mare then realized then that she had been excused from that duty a suspicious amount of times, and that the several times she did undertake the task, it cut into her break time.

And so the ride went, Hannah reaccounting stories and Mare realizing just how skewered her view of Ash had been.

**-0-**

Maggie didn't know what to say. But an _I forgive you_ was definitely not in order.

"Maggie," Delos gripped her shoulder. "Please, talk to me. Say something."

She yanked away from him, shooting a scowl in his direction. She stayed silent.

"Maggie," Delos pleaded, "I had to. It would have been foolish and brash to try and save anyone. That blaze… it burned even stone. It would have burned you, and anyone else who was caught in its path."

"So you hold me prisoner in a cart and withhold information about my brother." Maggie's eyes met his. "Yes, Delos, you are a real hero. You saved me from the fire. Congratulations."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Delos demanded.

"You got me away, but how many did you leave to die. It wouldn't have cost us to have stopped and rescued just a couple more people." Maggie's voice cracked. "You think I didn't hear them crying out as we passed them?"

"I take care of myself and my own," Delos said harshly. "I can't afford to think beyond that."

"You just had to give them a ride-"

"Enough!" Delos snapped. "I will not be talked to in this way."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Maggie said in a mocking tone, "_your highness._"

Delos raised his hand as if to hit her. His face was twisted with rage and the light of the low fire of the small room they'd rented in an Inn flickered across it in a way that made it seem all the more fearsome. Then he sighed, closed his eyes, and lowered his arm.

"Go to sleep, we'll start early in the morning, and I want you well rested." Delos ordered.

"What, we won't be traveling with a royal caravan?" Maggie muttered under her breath, knowing she shouldn't provoke him so soon after his furry had subsided, but unable to stop the comment from slipping out.

"No," Delos said. "We'll be making this journey alone. I could use some time to myself."

"Well, unless you plan on setting me free, you won't be completely alone," Maggie lay down in front of the hearth.

"What are you doing?" Delos asked.

"Going to sleep, like you told me to." Maggie replied.

He shook his head. "I wouldn't bed in the same room as you. Your chamber is down the hall."

"My… chamber…" After all that time spent bunking with four other girls, the concept of having a room to herself was odd- even though she'd been raised by wealthy parents. "My own chamber." The words felt foreign on her tongue.

"Yes, now leave." Delos opened the door. "I want my rest as much as you want yours."

Maggie stood and scurried out the door, sparing Delos the briefest of nods.

**-0-**

Jez stooped over the boy, Hugh, and brushed her fingers over the bump on his head. It would hurt when he finally woke up, but it wouldn't be fatal.

Jez looked over at the vampire on the other side of the camp fire. Her eyes were closed but Jez knew she was not asleep. Lily Redfern wouldn't be so stupid as to fall asleep while one of her guards was gone. She would wait until he was back with the firewood, sitting next to the other hunk of muscle, and only then would she allow herself to rest.

Claire had woken up a few minutes prior to the second guard leaving, but hadn't said anything. If she was scared, it didn't show. No emotions played across her stoic face. She was absolutely still.

In some ways, this Claire worried Jez more than the terrified, screaming Claire Morgead had once preyed on.

Jez looked around her. The woods were completely unfamiliar, as they'd crossed the Hawthorne property line some time ago. Now, they were camping out on the grounds of one of the nearby estates. Soon, they would be too far from the academy to track, and she would never be found.

Unless she escaped, she would be a prisoner of Lily Redfern's forever.

Jez leaned back and closed her eyes. She could try and scan for Morgead, try and reach him, if it weren't for the fact she didn't drink blood anymore.

Jez froze. If Jez was hungry, starving even, Lily would have to let her eat or she would die. So, steeling her resolve, knowing she would have to go back to her vampire ways just for a night to reach Morgead, she said, "I need to feed."

Lily opened her eyes. "Back at the academy you said you weren't a vampire."

"You bought that?" Jez raised her eyebrows and did her best to look amused.

Lily narrowed her eyes. "No, why did you even try?"

Jez shrugged. "Half- hearted attempt at foolery. Stupid."

Lily nodded. "It was."

"So," Jez prompted her. "Are you going to let me hunt or what."

Lily rolled her eyes. "You look fine to me, I'm sure you can live without blood for just tonight."

"I need blood." Jez said confidently, almost an order.

Lily sighed. "Of course you do." She looked over at the humans next to Jez. "Well, take your pick."

Jez looked over and realized the thought of feeding off of either one of them sickened Jez so much, she could hardly bear it. She surveyed the two- Hugh unconscious and Claire unresponsive.

Jez made her way over to Hugh. He would never have to know this happened.

-8-

Morgead's mind engulfed hers the moment she put out her feelers.

It surprised her. She'd forgotten how strong telepathy could be when both minds were welcome to finding the other.

_Jez? Jez!_ Morgead cried.

_Morgead, listen to me. I don't know how much time I have before Lily catches on._ Jez replied with urgency.

_Lily? Lily Redfern? _Morgead asked, confusion clouding his consciousness.

_Yes,_ Jez answered. _We are just beyond the western property line. Can you reach us before daylight?_

_ Maybe. Why? _Morgead asked.

_She's keeping me and a few humans captive. _Jez explained as quickly as she could._ She has guards, more than I can take on by myself, but if I had you, we might stand a chance. Please, Morgead, I know I haven't been the best to you, but… I need you._

_ If I rescue you, will you promise to tell me what's been bothering you? _Morgead requested.

Jez gritted her mental teeth. _Yes._

_ I'm on my way._

**There you have it! **

**Should I continue or did I loose your interest? Hello…? Anyone…?**


	2. Webs Woven and Unraveled

**Chapter 2- Webs Woven and Unraveled**

**Where we last left off:**

Morgead hovered on the outside of the camp, looking with confusion at the scene in front of him.

It made no sense. Why would Lily want to hold Jez captive? He knew the Redferns weren't the closest family, but this seemed a little extreme. Then again, you never knew with Lily. She was raised to be the cruelest of the cruel.

She was raised by Hunter Redfern.

Morgead reached out, careful to stay under Lily's radar, and connected with Jez.

_I'm here,_ he told her._ What should I do now?_

_ Get me out, idiot! _Jez snapped.

_Well, I know that. _Morgead mentally rolled his eyes. _I mean _how_. Don't you have a plan or something?_

_ I don't know how to get out of this! If I did, I would already be on my way back to Hawthorne._ Jez was scowling now, and Lily was shooting her an odd look.

_Whatever, and wipe that look off your face. _Morgead warned her. Jez complied, slipping on the cool façade she pulled off so well.

Morgead frowned. _Well, I have nothing. You were always the smart one._

Jez was silent for a moment, then replied with a short, _Just get me out of here._

Morgead climbed a nearby tree, taking in the view from above. _You know,_ he said,_ right now you may be in mortal danger, but when I rescue you, I'm never going to let you live this down._

_ Yeah, yeah, _Jez grumbled. _Get on with it._

Morgead smirked and surveyed the scene below. _I guess the only thing I have on my side is surprise._

_ Yeah,_ Jez agreed.

_Sooo… here I go._

And then he jumped.

-8-

Jez could see it was hopeless the moment Morgead landed on hulk number one's back.

Jez still sprung up to help him, but they were soon overtaken by the superior muscles of Lily's henchmen.

Morgead was tied up, as was Jez, and tossed, their heads dangerously close to the fire.

Lily looked down at them both, her eyebrow raised- her expression questioning but also radiating an air of authority. "And what do we have here?"

Morgead glared at her, and instead of answering her question, linked minds with Jez.

_Great plan, genius, _was the first thing she said.

_And you could have done better?_ Morgead retorted. _You said it yourself, you didn't have a plan._

_ Well, I could have done better than that, _Jez exclaimed. _I would have at least tried to come up with something. You just threw yourself right in._

_ I thought we agreed surprise was my only advantage. _Morgead was simmering now.

_ I didn't mean you should do _that_, idiot. _Jez looked him straight in the eye.

_Well, what should I have done?_ Morgead growled.

_I don't know, but I would've at least _tried_ to think things through before I jumped in like that._ Jez ranted. _You are such a fool!_

_ You're the one who asked me to come. _Morgead was yelling through the mental link now. _You're the one who called me. _You're_ the one who wanted _me_ to get you out of this mess, and didn't even have a plan. And look where I am now! Lily wants you alive, she wouldn't have kept you all this time if she didn't. She doesn't care about me, though. I'm nothing to her. She'd going to kill me!_

Jez's breath stuck in her throat, because she knew he was right. Lily didn't care about Morgead. He was just a nuisance. She would kill him. _Morgead… I…_ She didn't know what to say. She knew she should apologize, but she couldn't get the words out.

_There's nothing you can do. _Morgead said. _But, _Morgead added, _if I'm going to die anyway, and even if I wasn't going to, you have a promise to keep._

_A promise…? _Jez trailed off when realization hit her. She had promised to tell him what had been on her mind these past weeks if he came for her.

_Spit it out Jez._ Morgead ordered.

_Morgead…_ In that moment, Jez felt more trapped by Morgead than Lily.

_Jez_, Morgead growled. _Don't you dare back out on me. You promised._

_I know_, Jez moaned. _And I'm going to, but… just let me figure out how to say it._

_ Figure out how to say it? _Morgead repeated. _How hard can it be? Just tell me._

_ It's hard, trust me. _Jez clamped her eyes shut. _In fact, it goes against my every instinct._

_ Then why did you promise to tell me? _Morgead wondered bluntly.

_ Because I can't let Claire or Hugh get hurt. _Jez answered honestly.

_And you care about those vermin, why_…? Morgead asked.

_Because I owe them. _Jez said. _Please, Morgead, just let me think on how to phrase this right. Everything will make sense once you know._

"Are you even listening to me?" Lily broke into the conversation.

"No," Morgead told her, then went back to focusing on Jez.

_Have you got it? _He asked her.

No_. It takes more than a couple seconds to figure out how to break this kind of a secret to someone._

_ Just tell me. _Morgead urged. _Why is it so hard? We've known each other forever. We used to tell each other everything._

_ Used to, Morgead. _Jez said with a hint of regret. _We've grown apart, and you know it. Things aren't the way they used to be. And besides, even if I'd known this at a time when we were close, I wouldn't have told you._

_ Why?_

_ Because then I would have to kill you. _Jez felt wretched.

_Why?_

_ You would kill me if I didn't. _

_Jez, you're scaring me. _Morgead confessed. _What could be so bad as to make me want to kill you?_

_Morgead, I'm…_

"You little!" Lily's boot connected with Morgead's head. Well, it would have had Morgead not twisted his head at the last minute. Fangs fully extended, Lily's boot plunged into his mouth and he bit down. She shrieked.

Jez bit back a smile. That was Morgead all right.

However, the urge to smile soon disappeared as on of the hulks picked Morgead up and dangled him over the fire.

"You," Lily hissed. "Do you know how much these boots cost?"

Morgead shrugged as best he could upside down. "No, but they tasted pretty expensive."

"Gah!" Lily shrieked. "Drop him! Let him-"

"No!" Jez yelled. "He died and you'll never know how that fire was started."

Lily turned to Jez. "Ah, so you do know how it happened."

"Yes," Jez admitted. "But you won't unless you let him go."

"Oh," Lily sighed, then looked at Morgead. "I'll let you off the hook this time," She warned. "But next time I see you, you had better run."

The hulk threw Morgead away from the fire and he skidded to a stop near the edge of the clearing.

Morgead shot up and into the shadows without a trace.

Jez winced as Lily turned to her. "So, how did you do it?"

"Why do you think it was me?" Jez asked, finding herself trapped in yet another promise she knew she couldn't keep.

"You're telling me a vermin did that?" Lily asked incredulously.

"Are you telling me you've heard of this kind of thing before and know that only night people are capable of it?" Jez retorted.

Lily rolled her eyes, "I let your sweetheart go, now tell me how that fire started."

"Sweetheart?" Jez asked, latching onto something that would help her stall just a while longer. "He wasn't my sweetheart."

Lily rolled her eyes.

"Honest!" Jez cried angrily.

"Tell me what happened, never mind who that boy was to you." Lily ordered.

Jez's mouth snapped shut and stayed that way.

"Damien," Lily turned to the hulk that had thrown Morgead. "Go find the boy."

Jez struggled against her ropes, something she should have been doing since she'd first been bound.

One strand of the rope rubbed particularly hard against her wrist and chafed it rough enough to break skin. A warm trickle of blood oozed out and Jez froze.

_No._

She couldn't use the blue fire, not again. She'd likely killed all the students in the academy with the last flames she'd summoned.

But she didn't see any other way. Lily could kill Hugh, he was unconscious and beyond that he was human, as was Claire. She had two hulks that could take on Morgead. And without the blue fire, Jez was as defenseless as Hugh and Claire.

_Maybe I can control it, I won't let it get out of control like last time. _Jez thought, and as Morgead was dragged back into the clearing, Jez knew she had to at least try.

Closing her eyes, Jez felt the power well up inside of her.

"Let us go," Jez warned them, giving Lily and her hulks one last time.

"Make me," Lily sneered.

"You asked for it."

And Jez let her have it.

-0-

Maggie awoke to the sound of birds chirping, which was a pleasant surprise after a day of being jostled around in a cart. Sure, her muscles were still sore from being so still for so long, but waking up in a soft bed in a room all to herself was worth the pain of the previous day.

Then, of course, Delos had to barge in and ruin it. "I thought I told you to wake me with the sun."

"Hmmm?" Maggie said, still half asleep.

"I said," Delos spoke through clenched teeth, "I thought I told you to get me up. It's nearly noon, we'll not make it to the next inn, and it's all your fault."

"Sir?" Maggie asked, sting up now, "Excuse me for asking, but when did you order this. I do not recall such a demand as to be woken up."

"I told you," Delos assured her.

"When?"

"Last night," Delos said. "After you had started the fire."

Maggie shook her head. "The only order I recall you giving was for me to get out of your room and sleep in here."

"I am quite certain of what I said," Delos snapped. "If you missed it, then it is your own fault and you deserve to be punished."

Maggie winced. "It won't happen again, sir." Any thankfulness she might have felt for his generosity in giving her a bed was gone. She was sure he was lying, and she didn't thank liars.

Delos stared at her for another moment, deciding whether or not Maggie was being sarcastic, for her tone had been rather flat, then shook off his doubts and pointed at the chair near the window.

It held a fantastic dress, nearly matching the finery Maggie had been used to before becoming a slave. "I will not have you dressed in those rags any longer. You will don the gift, then fetch me breakfast."

He left then, presumably to give Maggie some privacy.

-0-

Mary- Lynnette flinched as the rough hands dragged her out of the cart and let her fall to the ground. Not even a moment after she fell, she was dragged back up by the same, disrespectful bloke.

He pushed her forward, kicking at her ankles. "I can walk!" She snapped at him.

"And I can hit," He retorted.

It made no sense to Mary- Lynnette, seeing as how if she walked then he was implying he would strike her, but she sensed it would be best to let the man's grammatical mistake go uncorrected.

Mary- Lynnette soon felt sand seeping into her shoes, eyes widening behind her blindfold as she realized they would soon be off to an island, probably a very remote one.

Ash would never find her now. He could search all he wanted, become a sailor, but Mare knew as well as any how dangerous it was to boat in unfamiliar waters, especially if those waters belonged to night people. Any number of witches could have cast harmful spells to keep curious eyes away, any number of shark shape- shifters could be patrolling the waters.

Mare wanted more than anything to just lie down and collapse. This, all of it, was just too much to take in. Kidnapped by night worlders, her vampire soulmate (hopefully) looking for her, and now she was being literally shipped off to some island that was probably in the middle of nowhere and protected by about a million spells.

Lying down and collapsing pretty much summed it up.

But she couldn't. She couldn't show weakness, she had to keep going, and if Ash didn't rescue her, she would have to rescue herself.

That was her last thought as she was thrown, caught, and the movement of the boat on the waves signaled the next part of her journey.

-0-

Hannah knew the feeling very well.

In a previous life- several, actually- she had sailed across large expanses of water. This was a familiar feeling to her, not strange and alien as everything else seemed to be lately. It was odd, she thought, that out of all the things that had happened, being loaded onto a rickety ship like some cheap cargo would comfort her.

But the lull and rock of the waves was so comforting.

Hannah repressed a smile, unsure whether it would be wise to let her captors see she was enjoying herself, and leaned back against the railing.

-0-

Thea surveyed the den with disgust. She felt the need to kick the wall.

"It's empty," David stated.

They spent all this time figuring out how to get down, and the cavern was empty. No bones left as clue that the giant monster had eaten. No pile of waste. The only hint at what Thea knew had once been there was the faint reptilian smell.

A hand rested on Thea's shoulder, Eric's. "We'll find it." He reassured her.

"If there was even anything here in the first place," David muttered.

"There was," Thea snapped. "I heard it. I felt it."

Eric's hand trailed down her arm until their fingers were entwined. "Of course there was. I believe you."

Thea looked up at him and nodded.

"We'd better get going, maybe we'll have better luck finding it farther down the tunnel."

-0-

Galen took the news in stride. He went along with his parents plans (to send him off to live with the vampire prince, Delos, in the secretive, high security kingdom of black dawn. He recognized the need to relocate, he accepted that he was at risk here, and that moving was the only way to keep him safe. However, he drew the line when the old pick- an- animal argument came up.

"Honestly!" His father cried, exasperated, "I don't see what is so hard about this. You need to pick an animal, and soon. You are almost a man, by human standards. And until you choose an animal, in shape- shifter society, you will remain a boy. Our people will not bow to a boy, especially not a literature loving, peace keeper like you."

"Now," His mother scolded the king. "Galen will choose when he is ready, and he will be ready soon enough, right dear?"

"I think so." Galen answered truthfully. He'd turned several ideas over in his head, but he refused to be forced into anything by his father. He wanted any shift to be made by his own accord, not by his father's premature wishes.

"You _think_ so?" His father sneered. "Thinking so is not enough. You must act on those thoughts. Choose your animal or forfeit the crown."

"Darling!" The Queen cried! "You were being harsh before, but this is just plain nonsense!"

"He doesn't have an animal, he doesn't have a mate, so he doesn't deserve the kingdom." His father reasoned.

"He still has plenty of years before he inherits the throne." His mother argued.

"I have a mate." Galen put in, not expecting to be heard, but pleased nonetheless when his admission was met with silence.

"What did you say?" His mother gasped.

"I said," Galen winced, as he knew Keller would kill him for what he was about to say, "I have a mate, or I know a woman whom I hope to make my mate."

"Hm," His father grunted, seemingly unimpressed, although Galen saw beyond the façade. He knew his father was secretly pleased. "And who is this girl?"

Galen hesitated. "She's a shifter."

"Yes, that was to be expected," The king said impatiently.

"Here's the thing…" Galen trailed off, then started again. "I can't actually be with her, at least, not for a while. She has things to do here, and I'm being taken away-"

"If this is some far fetched plan to get us to let you stay here, you had better rethink things." His father warned.

"No," Galen shook his head. "That's not it. She just has a duty, and so do I, and performing those duties conflict with our more personal schedule."

"Personal schedule," His father said dryly. "Have you claimed her?"

"No," Galen said. "But she has promised. It's was no official ceremony or anything, but I trust she will stay true to her word. One day, she will be my wife."

"Wife," The king said slowly. "Dear Lord, we have let you live among humans too long. The proper term is _mate_."

"I understand that is the proper word," Galen acknowledged.

"Good," His father said. "Then use it."

"You still haven't told us who this girl is," His mother put in.

Galen sighed, thinking, _forgive me, Keller. I know you wanted to keep this secret a while longer, but to hold my throne and keep my parent's respect I must do this. I hope you will understand. _"The security guard, Raksha Keller."

"The security guard?" His mother asked, sounding bewildered. "But… Galen, you can do so much better."

"No, I can't do better." Galen corrected her. "Keller is the best, she is wonderful. She may not be a princess or a lady of high status, but she is fiercely loyal. She lives by her own morals, she holds herself to standards even I could not hope to reach, yet she herself surpasses them. He lives by honor and trust and respect." Galen sighed. "She is as good as they come, I could not even dare to hope for anything better."

Silence.

"You really love her," his father said.

"I think…" Galen choked on the words, "I think we are soulmates. I've seen the chord, and I've walked inside her mind. I love her more than anything in the world; I would give everything for her, even my life."

"Oh, then I guess we should make room for one more body in the carriage," his mother commented.

"No, that won't be necessary," Galen said. "As I said, we cannot be together immediately. The same honor I love her for is what also causes this predicament. She has vowed to stay here and calm the rising panic. The students need her now more than ever, and she refuses to abandon them. It shames me to say that I've tried to convince her to come with me, but she holds firm to her decision."

A flicker of respect lit in the kings eyes. "I would very much like to meet this young lady."

"We have," The queen said, "Do you not remember?"

"No, I don't." the king replied. "And besides, I would like to view her with my newfound knowledge, not remember her from times and opinions passed."

"Her break starts at noon and goes until 12:30." Galen told them.

"We could get her out of duty," The queen offered.

Galen grinned. "You can try, but it is unlikely she will be happy about leaving her station. I would much prefer if you met her while she was in a good mood than a bad."

"Then we await her break."

-0-

Keller sent waves of anger through the bond, but kept her face neutral.

_You told them_. She seethed. _I thought we agreed not to tell anyone._

_Yes, but… _Galen floundered for the right words. _I had to! I was backed into a corner, and I didn't know what to do. Plus, they're my parents. They make me incredibly nervous and… I'm sorry. There is no excuse. It seemed like the reasonable thing to do at the time, but now I see the mistake._

"And there is no changing your mind on your choice to stay?" The queen raised her eyebrow at Keller.

_Gee, you didn't just tell them you loved me, you laid my whole life map out for them, _Keller growled. _I thought you knew I liked my privacy. I thought you understood what my thoughts meant to me, and that I shared them with you, trusting you to keep quiet._

"My resolve is firm." Keller answered, not showing her inner turmoil. "I have promised to protect these children, I must follow through and keep my word."

The queen nodded. "I see." She fiddled with the beads on her dress. "Galen said something about you two being soulmated.

_You really didn't hold back, I expected more of you._ Keller hissed.

_Again, sorry_. Galen kept the apology short this time.

"Yes," Keller nodded.

"Yes as in 'yes, he said that' or 'yes, we are soulmates'?" the queen pried.

"We are soulmates," Keller admitted.

The queen grinned and the king looked on with a cold sort of interest.

"Are you communicating right now?" The king asked.

"Yes," Keller reluctantly allowed the word pass by her lips, knowing it would be foolish to lie to her monarchs.

"What are you saying?" Galen's mother asked, leaning forward.

"Mom!" Galen exclaimed.

"Oh!" Her eyes widened. "That was rather rude, do forgive me."

Keller nodded, unsure if it was wise to forgive a queen, even if she asked for it.

Needless to say, 'meeting the parents' was just as awkward as always.

-0-

Iliana scowled, and watched the carriage roll away from the academy, taking her true love with it.

"I thought you said I was supposed to end up with him?" She whined to Angel.

"You were," Angel reassured her. "It's that girl, Keller, that's messing this all up. Had she not been here, Galen would have introduced you to his parents to satisfy them. To assure them that their son is not completely disregarding your responsibilities. He would have taken you with him."

Iliana bit her lip. "If he loves me so much, then why does he love her more? If I was really meant to end up with Galen, then why would Keller change that?"

"Are you questioning fate?" Angel asked. "You were meant to end up with Galen. Keller changed that."

"Yes, I know that. But… if Galen really fell so deeply in love with this other girl so as to forget his own fated wife… then maybe… we shouldn't mess with it."

"But it is a divine order." Angel reminded her.

"Of course," Iliana said. "It's just that he seems so happy with her, and seeing him happy makes me happy. I don't want to ruin something so beautiful as their love."

"No," Angel's voice tightened. "God ordered me to take Keller out of the equation, and I am acting through you. That is how it works. There is no beauty or happiness to it. You can only factor in fate, no emotions. Now, we will follow Galen to Black Dawn and-"

"Follow him? All the way to another land?" Iliana asked incredulously.

"It isn't as far as it seems."

"But still, it seems a bit much. I'm sure I can find love with another boy. I mean, he may not be like Galen, but I'm positive Galen is not the only good man out there. He can't be."

"GALEN IS YOUR TRUE LOVE," Angel bellowed. "YOU WILL FIND HIM AND THINK OF NO ONE ELSE."

Iliana started. "Angel…? Stop, you're scaring me."

Angel took a deep breath. "I am sorry, I just… I need to fix this."

"And I will help you," Although the words sounded a bit more unsure and less true than when she'd said them before.

**Well, there you go.**

**Anyway, please review! I would like to know you still care (I get the feeling I lost most of you back in part 1). **

**Also, I'm running low on inspiration. It was absolute hell writing this chapter. I would sit down, write a few sentences, then not be able to write any more. IT SUCKED! **

**Anyway, yeah, so please review. Reviews give me inspiration and happiness.**


	3. The Wandering Lost

**Chapter Three- The Wandering Lost**

**The Next Morning:**

Mark wandered through the stalls of the stable, wondering where the usually ever present stable boys, Eric and David, were.

There was Peaches, Mel, an empty stall, then across the small structure was Sundance. But no Eric or David.

Mark lead his small, shaggy horse into the empty stall and set up toward the academy.

He'd heard about the fire, everyone did. The scars the flames had left on the great building were evident. _So it's true,_ he thought. _The fire did burn stone._ He shivered. If a fire were hot enough to cause so much damage to a rock wall, what could it have done to his sister?

He quickened his pace, anxious to see that his sister was indeed alright. Claudia had said she was certain Mary- Lynnette was fine, that Mark didn't need to check in, but Mark went anyway. Claudia had no idea what was going on here.

He searched.

He searched so hard. There were terrified teachers, and scared students, and weeping maids, but there was no sign of Mary- Lynnette. He dared to ask several authority figures if they knew where she was, but the merely shrugged and got back to whatever task was at hand.

It took hours before any real progress was made.

"Mark? Mark, is that you?" some one called from behind him. He spun and scanned the area.

"Jade," he allowed a small smile to seep through his despair.

"Mark," Jade hurried to his side and beamed. "Hello."

Mark nodded in return.

"What brings you here?" Jade asked, then blushed furiously. "Oh, that must have sounded quite idiotic. You're here for Mary- Lynnette, of course."

"Yes," Mark nodded again. "I mean, not that you sounded like an idiot, because you didn't. I just meant yes, I'm searching for Mary- Lynnette." He shifted uncomfortably. "Have you seen her?"

"No," Jade shrugged and apology. "I'm afraid I haven't. Actually, I've been searching for Ash. He's seemed to have disappeared."

"Perhaps we can search together?" Mark raised an eyebrow and Jade grinned.

"I would like that very much."

They walked in silence, scanning the area they had both already looked over several times before. "So," Mark started an awkward attempt at conversation. "How have you been, besides the fire, I mean." _Great,_ he thought. _Now I'm the one that sounds like an idiot._

"I've been well," Jade's eyes sparkled. "But Mary- Lynnette's been better."

"Oh?" Mark asked sharply. "And what do you mean by that?"

Jade shrugged, a smirk tugging on her all- too- innocent face. "She's just been spending time with a certain some one, is all."

"A certain some one?" Mark said slowly, unable to picture his sister with a man. She was far too practical for that. She'd made it quite clear she would only ever consider marriage or any form of courtship once her studies were complete. "Like who?"

Jade grinned, stifling a laugh. "My brother, can you believe it?" Jade paused. "Well, I guess _you_ could, but when you know him, know what he'd like, it seems a miracle."

"And why is that," Mark asked, recalling something she'd said about her brother the day of the funeral. _If it were any other girl, he'd probably try and take advantage of her, but Ash has a soft spot for Mary- Lynnette. _

"Ash is… ugh, I don't know how to describe it." Jade bit her lip. "He doesn't generally like girls. Well, I mean, he likes their figures well enough, but when it comes to personality… Mare's the only one who comes close to winning his affections. And she keeps him in line, makes him a better person." Jade sighed. "I'm not explaining this right. What I mean is no one ever really expected Ash to end up in a stable relationship- especially one with someone who could make him good like she has. He's more… soft when he's around her. He cares about what she thinks of him. It can only be magic that she's taken as much interest in him as he has in her."

Mark nodded, a bit troubled that this boy, this player, was taking an interest in his sister. But, if Mare liked him back… he couldn't be all bad. "Maybe they ran away together, then." Mark joked lightly. "Maybe that's why we can't find them."

Jade froze.

Mark halted and studied her closely. "I was just joking, you know. And besides, there's no way Mare would just bolt like that."

Jade shook herself and forced a smile. "Of course."

Mark got the feeling she didn't really mean it.

-0-

Keller kept expecting to turn around and see him there.

It was odd to be on guard without him. She'd never realized it before, but now that he was gone, she realized she enjoyed his company quite a bit more than she'd though.

It wasn't just his kisses or his laugh that she missed. It was his very _presence_.

Keller groaned. _This is a very long, hard journey I've chosen. Life without my soulmate, at least, temporarily. With the way things are going, though, it might was well be an entire lifetime. _

-0-

Jez sat up, the crook in her neck bothering her more than it should.

She looked around at the destroyed camp; it looked even more barren in the sunlight. _My second big disaster in less than a week. Congratulations, Jez_.

Her eyes fell on the three sleeping forms scattered around the clearing she'd created when she'd released the blue fire. Claire, Hugh, and Morgead.

She'd thought her night from hell had ended when she'd killed Lily, but explaining the night world to Claire and the blue fire to Morgead had been even worse. She'd been forced to spill two secrets she desperately wanted to keep. She knew there would be consequences.

The only good thing that had come of this ordeal was that Jez had avoided telling Morgead of her heritage.

She didn't know how long that good luck would last.

-0-

Maggie watched Delos spoon the soup into his mouth.

"You have something you wish to say," Delos started conversation. "Say it."

"Why are we traveling like this?" Maggie asked. "I mean, you're a prince. Shouldn't you be making this journey with an entourage of guards and courts men and…" Maggie trailed off. "Instead, you're inn hopping with a slave."

Delos looked up from his soup, smiling bitterly. "Maggie, one thing you must treasure above all else is your individuality. In court… you are unable to show your true self. You are cooped up and forced into standards that don't quite fit. I much enjoy my time alone."

"But you're not alone," Maggie reminded him. "You brought me along."

Delos smiled a true smile at that, "I rather enjoy your company. Besides, it couldn't be helped. It was either I buy you or Lily got you, and I will not let _Lily_ best me." He shook his head with disgust. "She dares to call herself a Redfern, but in reality, the Harman blood in her veins taints her. No one sees it, but I do. I always have."

Maggie shifted in her seat, looking around the dining room of the inn. "Back at Hawthorne," she broached the subject delicately. "You said something about my brother."

Delos stood, either done with his soup or done with this conversation. "Follow my orders, and you will see him again."

He retreated to his room.

-0-

"Galen," His mother said. "Could you maybe tell us a bit more about this girl?" When Galen gave her a 'look' she fussed and hurriedly said. "Not because we don't like her, I was just wondering what she was like around you. She seemed a bit stiff during lunch and…"

"Mother, Keller was a security guard standing in front of her king and queen, who also happened to be her sweetheart's parents." Galen shrugged. "And besides, even if you weren't royalty, she would have acted that way. She's big on respect. It took days to get her to call me by my first name and not my title."

His mother nodded. "And what about her family?"

"Well…" Galen trailed off.

"Oh, _God_." His mother's tone grew ominous. "Her parents are outlaws, aren't they? That's why she's so committed to things like safety and respect. She was scarred as a kid and wants-"

"No!" Galen cried out. "Nothing like that! I was just going to say that Keller doesn't know who her parents are. They abandoned her. From what I gather, she was stuck in a sort of in- between state for the first couple years of her life and her mother couldn't handle it. Keller was stuck in the human child placement program for years before night people stepped forward and took her in."

"Oh," His mother said shortly. "That sounds dreadful."

"It was," Galen said. "She doesn't really like to talk about it."

"And what about her friends?" His mother asked.

Galen sighed. "I'm her friend, and several of the other security guards are her friends."

"That's it?" His mother asked, troubled. "She only has that few friends?"

"She doesn't like talking to people." Galen defended Keller.

"Well," The Queen smoothed her skirt, which didn't actually need smoothing, seeing as they had been sitting in a carriage for the past few hours. "We certainly can't have a queen who 'doesn't like to talk to people'."

"I can do the talking," Galen said.

"I don't know, there are some things a woman has to do on her own," Galen's mother sounded undecided.

"If her capabilities are in question, I assure you she is quite able of anything asked, even if it a social matter. She does not particularly like parties and the like, but she will understand if it is required she attend them." Galen assured his parents.

"No, darling, it's not that." His mother smiled as best she could.

"Are you telling me I can't marry her?" Galen asked, for once using a threatening sort of tone. "I love Keller, and though she may not be a 'people person', I have absolute faith she will be a wonderful queen. I will marry her, even if I have to denounce my throne to do so."

Galen's mother stopped her retaliations and starred. "You really feel that strongly."

"Yes."

"Well, then," His father said gruffly, "Though it may be a while until the union, you have my blessing."

"And mine," The Queen didn't sound _exactly_ reluctant, but something close to it.

-0-

By the end of the day, they were no closer to finding the couple than at the beginning.

"Where could they be?" Mark cried out in distress.

Jade said tentatively, "Maybe they just wanted some privacy. There are plenty of nooks and hiding spaces to slip away to."

"All of which we checked." Mark reminded her.

"Maybe not all," Jade comforted him optimistically.

"Most of them," He grumbled, his gloomy outlook unhindered by her cheery disposition.

"I should be heading back, if I want to be in time to get a room in town," Mark said, standing from his seat on the grass warily.

"Stay here," Jade suggested hastily, then turned bright scarlet.

"Pardon?" Mark was just as red as she.

"What I mean to say," Jade's voice sounded choked- by embarrassment, no doubt, "Was that you could stay in Ash's room. If he returns, we will know, and if he doesn't, you will have a place to stay."

"I don't know," Marks said. "Don't I have to have some sort of special permission to camp out in a dorm?"

Jade raised an eyebrow and scoffed, pushing aside the shame of her heated cheeks temporarily. "With everything that's happened, I doubt they have time to worry about dorm placement. With all the coming visitors and leaving students, they hardly have time to care about you," Jade's eyes widened. "No offense," she added hastily.

"None taken," Mark assured her. He was used to it (not being noticed because he was of a lower social position).

"Then it's settled," Jade stood. "I'll show you the way."

-0-

Rashel was unhappy, and it was entirely Ash's fault. She cursed the moment she ever agreed to team up with him.

"What was I thinking?" She muttered. "Well, I obviously wasn't thinking at all. No intelligent hunter would ever agree. This must be my punishment, as if loosing my chance at revenge wasn't already enough."

"I can hear you," Ash said, "and I am offended."

"Well, then, good for you," Rashel snarled and continued pushing through the foliage.

"I thought you said this way would be the better option," Ash said.

"It was, and it still is," Rashel pushed aside a tree branch and slipped pass.

"Then, tell me, why are we not out of here yet?" Ash asked. "We're loosing valuable time. And it's not like were being sneaky or anything, with all the noise I'm making. I say we brave the road- if you can find it."

"Of course I can find it, but we're not taking it." Rashel said. "There are too many night worlders likely taking it. This fire will definitely be something of interest to the supernatural community. The last thing we need is to be caught."

Ash swore as his foot slipped into a puddle of oozing mud. "Here's an idea," Ash growled. "We go to the road, and if we see someone coming, we slip into the underbrush. Easy as that."

Rashel shook her head. "Ash, I'm telling you, it's a bad idea."

"What? That we travel faster?" Ash cried, exasperated.

"If you wish to travel faster, I will certainly up the pace." Rashel threatened. "You can try and keep up, though I doubt you'll be able to."

Ash tripped over a root. "You know what; I don't think I need you after all." Ash said angrily. "You continue to inch your way through the never- ending forest, while I go to the road and try and save Mare. Enjoy your reclusive stroll."

"You think I don't want to save those girls?" Rashel exploded, steaming. "It's my job to try and get them back. I am trying to do what is best for the mission, and you are making it extremely difficult."

"Well, kiss all your 'difficulties' goodbye because they are about to disappear!" Ash looked around. "Now, tell me where the road is and I'll be on my way."

Rashel strangled a scream. "That way," She pointed.

"Right," Ash said, and headed in the direction Rashel had motioned.

"And I thought we had problems," A voice laughed from the underbrush.

"Shut up," And other one, clearly female, hissed.

"Jez?" Ash asked incredulously.

After a moment, his redheaded cousin stepped out from behind a tree. "Ash," she said with distaste.

"What the hell are you doing out here?" Ash demanded.

"I could ask you the same thing." Jez replied.

"It sounds to me," a blonde emerged from behind Jez, "That we are all focused on a similar objective: finding those kidnapped girls."

"Yeah, I caught on to that part," Jez said. "What I want to know is _why?_ What are you up to, Ash."

"None of your business," Ash sneered at her. "And since when did you care about humans?"

Jez winced at that, but still retorted with a scornful, "Since when did you?"

"What business is that of yours?" Ash asked.

They were never going to make any sort of headway in this conversation if they kept up this distrustful questioning, and Hugh knew it. Unfortunately, he saw no way to end the conversation peacefully.

Neither did Rashel.

In a split second, the former maid had a stake poised over Jez's heart, Morgead had jumped out and was growling at her, and Hugh took in a sharp breath of air.

Jez scowled, "Let go."

"What are you doing?" Rashel demanded. "Why do you want to find those girls, or was that a cover story?"

"It's not a cover story," Jez tried to wrench herself free, but Rashel held tighter.

"She's telling the truth," Claire stepped out from her hiding spot. "Please, let her go."

Rashel shook her head. "You don't understand, Claire."

"I do!" Claire protested. "I understand that Jez and Ash and Morgead are vampires, and I understand that you must know that too, because you know that staking really works," Claire said, referring to the sharpened stick of wood at Jez's chest. "I also know that Jez just saved my life, and that she really does want to help."

Rashel's eyes narrowed. "You also know that vampires can sneak into your mind, alter your thoughts?"

"Jez hasn't done any of that," Claire said quietly, after a moment of hesitation. She hadn't known about the telepathic powers that came with vampirism. "My thoughts are my own. I know what happened."

Rashel's eyebrow rose. "Then, what happened."

"Lily Redfern was trying to kidnap me. Jez and Hugh stepped in and tried to help, but they got taken as well. Later on, Morgead burst in and…" Claire trailed off, shooting a glance at Jez. "Morgead surprised Lily and her men and we got out."

"Good story," Ash said. "Now, tell us the truth."

Jez's eyes narrowed. "You first. I've never been all that friendly with humans, but you hated them even more than me. Why do you want to save those girls?"

Rashel dug the tip of the stake into Jez's chest. "You are the one whom I could kill with the move of a muscle. You are not the one asking questions."

Morgead made as if to move closer but a look from Rashel stopped him.

"I'm telling the truth," Claire protested quietly. "Morgead came in, surprised Lily and her guards, then Jez and Morgead fought them off and we escaped."

This sounded a bit more truthful to Ash's ears, but something was still being withheld. "And why do you want to get those girls back?"

Hugh interjected before Jez could answer. "How about this: You let Jez go. None of us attack each other. We help one another without worrying about motivation."

"No," Rashel objected immediately. "One bloodsucker is enough for me."

"I thought you were splitting up," Morgead reminded them.

"Oh, yeah," Ash said, turning back to Rashel. "Do you mind if I take that back. I have absolutely no wilderness skills."

"Too bad for you," Rashel said.

"You need me," Ash said. "You have no people skills. You'll never find out where they were taken."

"I may not have people skills, but I know how to make someone talk," Rashel backed away. "I work alone," She shot a glare at Ash, then released Jez and slid into the forest.

"Wait!" Claire called after her. "Please, Rashel we need you!"

"I don't need you," Rashel's voice floated out of the forest, her body hidden by the leaves.

"Please!" Claire called, sending a meaningful look at Jez and Morgead.

"We promise not to eat you," Morgead called out. He was well aware his survival tactics only worked in big cities.

They really would need Rashel.

"Come on," Ash called. "I do apologize for what I said, but we really are spending precious time. They've already left land."

Rashel stepped out of the forest and five pairs of eyes shot to Ash.

"How do you know that?" Claire was the first to speak.

"Ummm…" Ash trailed off. How did he know that? He'd thought the chord was too stretched to convey anything useful, but maybe he'd been wrong. "I just do," he mumbled. "They're on a boat. The port is about a week's worth of walking from Hawthorne. We can shorten the time to two days if we find horses."

The silence lasted a bit longer, then Rashel sighed. "You actually know that."

"Yea," Ash said.

"Well," Jez said gloomily. "We can't leave Ash behind now. Not if he can track them like that."

"Neither can I," Rashel grumbled.

"How can you do that?" Claire asked.

Ash shrugged. "I thought we weren't going to talk about our motivations and stuff." He didn't want anyone, another Redfern of all people, to hear of his connection with Mary- Lynnette.

"So we're all stuck with each other." Morgead summed up.

-0-

Thea starred up at the academy.

"It's mostly intact," David tried to sound optimistic.

"It could look worse," Eric agreed.

"I will look worse unless we can find help," Thea reminded them of their quest.

"Keller, right," David nodded, then frowned. "Why Keller, again. There are plenty of other security guards, and Keller is certainly the most scrawny."

"Because I know Sir Keller," Thea said. "He'll help us." She didn't know Keller, and she wasn't sure she would help them, but it was worth a try. Out of all the night people, she had narrowed her list of those most likely to help down to Keller and Rowan Redfern. She's decided to go with Keller, as Keller had a whole lot more experience when it came to kicking butt.

Eric started up the hill. "Come on. The sooner we get up there, the sooner we find Keller. The sooner we find Keller, the sooner the search for a decent meal begins."

"Totally," David agreed.

-8-

"So, you're saying you awoke some kind of ancient beast and you want me to kill it?" Keller checked, regarding the witch with a kind of incredulity she rarely expressed.

"I know it sound crazy," Thea said, "but I just know it. Something was down there, and now it's not. Something… evil. Powerful. Huge."

Keller nodded. "Look, as much as I would like to help-"

"Please!" Thea interjected in a pleading tone, "You have to help me!"

Keller sighed. "Look, I know you might think you sensed some sort of bestial creature, but it was probably just the after effects of a frantic afternoon. You were stressed and your emotions came down on you all at once."

Thea shook her head. "I know what I saw." She wasn't begging anymore, she was telling. "I know something is coming, and I know that I need your help."

Keller starred for a moment then sighed. "I don't know when I can get off, but if come up with a few spare minutes, we'll go look through that cave you mentioned." Keller couldn't believe she'd just said that.

Thea on the other hand, was relieved beyond compare.

**Hey!**

**Well, lucky for you, I write when I'm feeling not- so- great. Yeah, earlier, my sister walked in and I was on photobooth. Some of you may not know this, but I like photography. I especially like it when you can barely tell who the person in the photo is. So, then my sister walked in. I showed her a couple and she was like, "cool." Then, I get to one where she can actually tell it's me and she says, "Ha! That looks like me! That looks like an ugly version of me!"**

** Yeah, and you would expect her to feel a bit of remorse about that, and she did… for about five seconds. No she is sprawled out on the bed watching Disney Channel and dancing along to the theme songs. **

** So, here you have it, another chapter, and another probably on the way.**


	4. First Contact

**Chapter 4- First Contact **

**The next morning:**

Gillian looked on as they approached the island. It was small, and there were only a few houses. There was one boat docked on the shore already.

When they landed and anchored, they were shoved up the hill, into one of the houses, then down a flight of stairs. She was pushed through a door that led to a small room. What was in the room made her cringe.

Several girls that looked to be her age, or close to it, lay chained on beds. Gillian gulped, and when she looked at her companions, she saw they felt the same as her.

Disgusted and scared and apprehensive.

"Welcome," one of the girls grinned, "to the waiting room to Hell."

-8-

Mary- Lynnette lay with her eyes half closed on the scratchy sheets of her new home, the manacles digging into her wrist.

There were three others, and with nothing better to do, they all became friends in a matter of minutes.

First, in the bed next to hers, lay Daphne- a girl with a soul kin to Bunny's. She was flighty and beautiful.

Then, in the next bed over, was Fayth. With red hair that reminded Mary- Lynnette much of Poppy North- a former student of Hawthorne academy. Her eyes were wistful, but not scared.

Then, across the aisle, next to Hannah, was Nyala. She had cocoa skin and looked vaguely like a queen. But she wasn't one, and that quickly became obvious. The girl lacked sanity- that was for sure.

There were several empty beds, which would suggest they would be receiving more roommates before this was over.

-0-

Mark's mood grew ever more dismal as the day passed. Students trickled out and the halls grew emptier and emptier.

Jade had left around noon, with her two sisters. After a quick goodbye hug, and the promise of meeting again, his one friend in this place was gone.

He was a stranger among strangers now.

He couldn't find Eric. He couldn't find David. He couldn't find Claire or Hannah.

And, most importantly, he couldn't find Mary- Lynnette.

-0- 

Chess sighed in resignation.

After all this time, she'd finally found Hannah, and now she was gone.

After searching all over the country, turning place after place upside down, she'd found her. And then she'd lost her.

"Chess," A voice said from behind her.

She turned around slowly, already knowing who it was. "Thierry."

"Have you seen her?" His tone suggested he already knew.

"No, you?" Chess didn't know why she'd asked.

"No," He looked out at the school. It was slightly charred and melted in some places, and collapsed in others.

"Do you know where she might be," Chess asked, daring to hope that he had even an inkling.

"An idea," Thierry sighed. "But it seems it may be too far fetched to chase." At Chess's look, he said, "Relax, it may be far fetched, but it's all I have. I'm going to chase it anyway."

"Good," Chess nodded. "I don't suppose there's any room for me on this trip?"

Thierry shook his head slowly, "I would think not."

"It's alright," Chess accepted this fact with grace, "If you turn out to be wrong, you'll need someone else already looking for another way. But, if you turn out to be right…"

"I'll send word as soon as I am able," Thierry promised.

Chess nodded, and together, silently, they watched as the school slowly emptied, children being taken away by chauffeurs or parents, the guardians of the few missing students and staff grieving.

All until nightfall.

-0-

The only thing stopping her from bolting was the instinct Ash's ability to track Mary- Lynnette (can you say 'creepy'?) seemed authentic.

It was crazy that one person would be able to just know where another person was, but she was willing to give crazy a try. It was crazy that she was half human. It was crazy that she could summon a fire hot enough to burn stone. And it was crazy that as Morgead tended to the fire, the flickering of flames across his face actually made him half attractive.

Jez turned her attention to Ash, who quite dulled in comparison to Morgead- by the way- and scowled.

"What?" Ash asked. "What did I do? I've hardly said anything all today. I haven't even complained." It was true. He'd figured out that he may be a vampire, and he may be pretty handy in most situations, but surviving in the wilderness was not his strong suit. He needed someone like Rashel for that, and he wasn't about to put his companionship with her on the line again.

"We're camping out with a vampire hunter, aren't you even a little on edge?" Jez inquired. In truth, she was a little worried about traveling with him too. How long would it be before someone noticed she was a little off; that she wasn't entirely lamia?

"Yeah, were camping with a hunter, but she needs my skill and she knows it," Ash said, confidently.

"She also intends to find out how he can do what he does," Rashel walked up to them, feeding the small fire a couple dry sticks. "So, are you going to make it easy for her or is she going to have to pull out her stake?"

Ash raised his hands. "Hey, I thought we agreed to leave personal stuff out of this deal."

"We did," Rashel said. "And then I got thinking. And then I decided it was a bit suspicious. I don't like suspicious."

Ash huffed. "Look, I'd rather not tell you."

"I don't care what you'd rather do," Rashel said. "I agreed to travel with a vampire; I'm not going to travel with one who has creepy psychic visions on top of the blood drinking."

Ash was tempted to say, _why? Are you scared? Are you hiding something? _Instead, he said, "I just can, okay? It's only her, no one else."

"How?" Rashel demanded. "Do you know? Do you have a theory?"

Ash replied sarcastically, "The power of love." In actuality, this was the complete truth, but Rashel didn't perceive it that way, and neither did anyone else.

"Seriously," Morgead pitched in. "How can you do that? I mean, you didn't seem like you were lying when you told us she was no longer on land, but how can you know that?"

Ash sighed. "Maybe it's the witch blood."

"Maybe," Rashel admitted through clenched teeth, "but I don't think so."

Ash looked at the fire.

It was then that Claire decided to speak, "Could you send her a message?"

"What," Ash was surprised.

"I mean," Claire explained, "If you can sense where she is, can you send her like a dream message or something?" Claire grew red as silence engulfed their camp, "I'm no expert, I could be wrong."

Ash shook his head. "Well, you could be on to something…" Ash sighed. "It's just so weak. I don't know if I can get anything more than a general feeling across…"

"What's so weak?" Jez asked.

"The connection," Ash said slowly. "That's how I can tell where she is. And we decided it was my Harman blood that caused it."

"No," Rashel mumbled under her breath. "_You_ decided that must be it, I still lack faith."

Ash bit his lip. "But if I pulled hard enough…"

"'Pulled?'" Morgead questioned. "Maybe we should stop with this dream message thing and Ash should explain the actual connection before we go any further."

Jez nodded.

Rashel agreed.

Claire shrugged.

Hugh looked on expectantly.

Describing it would give it away. He couldn't have that. Not with two vampires here. They'd most certainly turn him in for having a human soulmate.

"It's like a rope," he said, keeping it generic. "It links us together. It's stronger when we're closer; when we're touching it's at its strongest."

There was another silence as the members silently contemplated what he'd said.

"So… yes on the dream message thing?" Morgead asked. "Because it would be really helpful to have insider information."

Ash nodded slowly. "I can try."

-0-

_Ash's hands were burning, igniting every inch of skin they touched. They ran up her spine and into her hair. Clenching his fists, he pulled her nearer to him. "Mary- Lynnette," he whispered as he nuzzled her neck._

_ "Ash," Said her own breathless voice._

_ "Where are you?" He asked. This confused her._

_ "I'm right here," She leaned into him, feeling the lines of his chest through her dress. "I'm with you."_

_ "No," Ash pulled her ever closer, though she did not know how that was possible, as it seemed they were already as close as she could be. "Where are you, for real?"_

_ "I don't understand," Mare muttered into his shirt. "Let's not talk about this, okay?"_

_ Ash's grip moved from her hair to her shoulders. He pushed her away and looked into her eyes. "Where are you?" His voice had an echo-y quality and it seemed to be coming from far away. "Mare, you have to tell me now, where are you?"_

_ He began to fade before her eyes. "Ash, what are you doing?"_

_ "Please, Mary- Lynnette, where are you!" He had to yell to get through to her now, and even then his voice was growing quieter._

_ "I… I don't know." Mare shook her head. "Ash, what is happening? Where are you going?"_

_ "I can't…" She could no longer hear him; his form was barely discernable from the misty background. _

_ "Ash! Don't leave me!" She begged. "ASH!"_

Mare snapped awake, breathing heavily, cuffs biting into her wrists.

"Mary- Lynnette?" A voice, Gillian, whispered. "Are you okay?"

"What just happened?" Mare whispered, more to herself than Gillian.

"You started screaming 'Ash' and a bunch of other nonsense, then you woke." Came Fayth's calming voice. "Who is Ash?"

"He's…" Mare tailed off, unsure how to answer that. "He's a friend."

"Pretty good friend?" Daphne pried. "A little bit more than a friend?"

"Not really." Mare blushed, though no one saw it in the darkness.

"You kissed," Gillian said. "I think he qualifies as 'more than a friend'."

"How did you know that?" Mare asked, when no answer was forth coming, she said, "Ugh, I don't know. I hated him, and then he saved my life, and then I kind of liked him for a while, and then I went back to hating him, and then we kissed, and now…" She sighed. "I don't know where we stand."

"Awww," came a voice, probably Daphne's, from the darkness. "He saved your life?"

"Yeah," Mare laughed humorlessly. "From the guy I loved, actually."

"Wow, sounds messed up," Nyala snorted, speaking for the first time. "How did it happen?"

"Start from the very beginning." Fayth put in.

"Well," Mare bit her lip, a tad uncomfortable at laying out her love life in front of these near strangers, and still shaken up by her dream, but they wanted badly to hear the story. She could tell. Anything to distract them from their predicament. "I was a maid at Hawthorne Academy, and he was a student. He was a complete jerk and I absolutely hated him from the moment I saw him."

"He sounds like a real sweetheart." Fayth sympathized.

"Yeah, well, anyway, I was lucky. The only time I ever saw him was in the library- and even then, we hardly ever talked. I ignored him and he ignored me-"

"No!" Gillian exclaimed. "No, you're telling it all wrong. That is not how it happened!"

"And how did it happen?" Mare sighed, "I think I know my love life better than you."

"He never ignored you- I know because once I tutored Jade in nettle work. We'd always go to the library because it was nice and quiet and no one would make fun of Jade for tangling the thread. Ash would always join us five minutes before your break started, sit with us and pretend to be doing class work, then you came in and he'd sneak all kinds of looks at you." Gillian giggled. "He_ is_ a jerk, but it was absolutely adorable. He never got anything done."

"Oh," Mare said after a few minutes of silence. "Are you sure you're not just romanticizing the story?"

"I'm sure."

"Well, okay then. I ignored him, and he stared at me."

"He really did," Hannah put in. "None of us maids could believe you didn't notice. Claire thought it was hilarious, well, apart from it being _Ash_."

"A couple years passed and then a close friend of mine died. Her name was Bunny, and she was in the middle of a courtship with the guy of my dreams, Jeremy Lovett. I knew he must have been torn up about it, so I was going to visit him when I ran into Ash."

Mare stopped talking, remembering the night she'd found that Jeremy hated her.

"And…" Daphne prompted. "Come on, Mare, this is the best story I've heard in weeks. When you're locked up in a room for as long as I've been, gossip is scarce- and I can't live without my gossip."

"Gossip?" Mare asked. "Is that what this is to you?"

"Well…" Daphne trailed off. "Not exactly, but it provides the same kind of satisfying entertainment. So…"

"So, he dragged me back to my room and pinned me down, refusing to let me see him." Mare shook her head. "And then… he went off on this rant, and I thought he was crazy at the time, but now…"

"What did he say?" Gillian asked.

"He told her that Jeremy hated her," Said Hannah, "And that Jeremy killed Bunny."

"Harsh," Fayth remarked.

"Why did he hate you?" Nyala asked.

"Something that happened when we were little kids." Mare closed her eyes. "Jeremy blamed me, and I blamed me, but he said I was forgiven. It turns out I wasn't. At Bunny's memorial service, I found I had turned him into some old, bitter monster when he tried to kill me." Mare shuddered. "Ash killed him before he could do anything serious to me."

"Huh," Fayth grunted. "He sounds like a real hunk."

"So, Ash has no moral qualms about that kind of stuff?" Nyala asked, and it sounded like she really was interested.

"It's not like that," Mare shook her head. "After we got back from the memorial, he… watched out for me, I guess. We got in a fight and I sort of shut him out. We didn't talk for a while, and then he decided he was leaving."

"Leaving?" Fayth asked incredulously. "What part of the story did you leave out?"

"Several parts, but none you need to hear." Mare answered, referring to the silver chord, and her realizing she loved him and him realizing he returned that love. "He had a reason, a good reason. So, we said goodbye. And I kissed him, and he kissed me back, and then he left."

"And that's it?" Daphne whined. "You never saw him again? He just left you?"

Mare shrugged, though she knew they couldn't see it. "I was kidnapped soon after that, and now I'm here. I think he knows I'm missing, and I hope he's searching, but I doubt he'll find me in time."

"In time for what?" Daphne inquired.

"For whatever _they_ have planned for us," Hannah said as quietly and calmly as ever.

"What _do_ they have planned." Daphne's voice quivered.

"A feast, I think," Fayth planned.

Mare started, "You know what they are?"

"You do?" Fayth seemed just as surprised as Mare.

"We both do," Hannah put in.

"Three," Gill said in that quiet way of hers, "actually."

"You guys know they're night people too?" Nyala sat up. "You know they're evil parasites? You know how to kill them?"

"Well," Hannah said. "Yes."

"Good." Nyala sounded as if she was grinning. "We'll get out and kill them. We'll kill them all. All of them. We'll start with the ones here, then we'll move on to-"

"What are you talking about?" Gillian asked, terrified.

"Don't you want revenge?" Nyala demanded.

"Yeah," Mare said. "But they don't all deserve to die."

Hannah silently agreed.

"They… don't… all…" Nyala seemed to have a hard time comprehending this.

That's when Fayth gasped. "Is _Ash_ a vampire?

Mary- Lynnette hesitated, then nodded.

"And… you guys were soulmates, weren't you? That's why he was leaving," Fayth seemed to put the situation together like pieces of a puzzle.

"Hold on, you guys," Daphne stopped Mare from answering. "What are you talking about? Night people? Vampires? And soulmates…that only ever happens in books and fairy tales."

"No, Daphne," Hannah said. "They're all quite real."

**Well, a little late, but I have an excuse! My birthday was a couple weeks ago and I was caught up in the awesomeness of the presents (and I was working on original stuff).**

** And, it might be a while before chapter five is up because I am in FULL MORTAL INSTRUMETNS MODE! How many of you have City of Lost Souls? Cause if you do, I would love to talk! I just got to the part where Clary is realizing this Jace isn't all right (if you know what I mean- I hope you do because it took place in City of Fallen Angels).**

**Anyway, please review!**


	5. Missing in Action

**Chapter 5- Missing in Action**

**The Next Day:**

The next day of Mark's search was marginally more successful. Although he did not find his sister, he did find a few of her friends.

"David," He called.

"Mark," David greeted. "How's it going?"

"Bad," Mark said as he reached the other boy's side. "Where have you been? Where is Eric? Where are all the other maids?"

David frowned. "Eric and I were chased into the woods by the fire. And the maids… aren't they here?"

Mark shook his head. "Claire and Hannah are gone. So is Mare. I couldn't even find Gillian."

"Gillian," David said sharply. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I've scoured the place. That's all I've been doing since I got here yesterday. I checked with the officers and they haven't seen any of them either. They're just _gone_."

"Eric! Thea!" He called over his shoulder. Eric and an unfamiliar girl, presumably Thea, walked up.

"What is it?" The girl asked.

"Gill's gone." David said tersely.

"And Mare, and Hannah, and Claire." Mark added.

"All of them?" Eric asked, shaking his head. "There must be some mistake."

"I wish," Mark said. "I've been looking for hours."

"Gillian's gone." David repeated.

"She had a cousin, didn't she?" Thea said.

"Yes, Iliana." David replied.

"Well, maybe she knows where Gillian is." Thea suggested.

David nodded. "I'll talk to her."

"I will accompany you," Mark volunteered.

-8-

"She's missing?" Iliana's eyes grew wide. "I didn't… how did I not know?" She demanded.

"Ummm…" Mark didn't know what to say to that. "I would have told you earlier if I'd known she had a cousin."

She shook her head. "Not you, it's not your fault."

"Well, it's not my fault!" David protested. "I wasn't even here! I'm as frantic as you-"

"Not you either." Iliana shook her head. "It's just… oh, I don't know."

"Do you have any idea where she might be?" Mark asked. "Or any of the others?"

Iliana shook her head. "No." She didn't sound helpless, though. She sounded accusing. She wasn't looking at them either. She was staring off at something over David's shoulder.

_So, she's a bit of a crazy. _Mark thought, _It happens to everyone._

"If you find anything…" David trailed off.

"I'll tell you." She assured him.

"Thank you."

-8-

"Why." Iliana demanded the moment the boys left. "You knew, didn't you? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I needed you focused." Angel replied.

"Galen's not even here anymore!" Iliana hissed. "And besides, I'm completely committed to the mission. I would just have liked to know my cousin was _missing_!"

"The cousin who told you lies about me?" Angel asked. "The one who told you I was evil? The one who is claimed herself by evil?"

Iliana huffed. "She was mistaken, that doesn't make her not worth caring for."

"In heaven's eyes it does." Angel said.

"There is always a chance to redeem yourself." Iliana argued.

Angel stared at her coldly. "I had my reasons, Iliana. Don't question them."

Iliana was near a boiling point. How could he not tell her? How could he keep something so important away from her?

"Just…" She shook her head, "I need a moment."

"Of course." Angel faded away.

-0-

"Take a deep breath," Hannah said in what she hoped was a reassuring tone.

Mare nodded, eyes closed, only thinking thoughts of Ash.

"He has to be out there somewhere," Fayth encouraged. "Just find him and tug."

Mare nodded again.

She could feel the chord, feel it faintly pulsing. It hummed as she grew nearer, lighting up; shedding beams the color of moonlight.

She grasped it and held fast. She gave an experimental tug.

It vibrated all the way down, and somewhere at the end, the energy that hooked Ash's mind to hers sung back. The link was growing more active. She could sense him better now.

_Talk to me, Ash. _She thought as hard as she could. _Answer._

-8-

_Talk… Ash… Answer… _The connection was rough, but the voice was Mary- Lynnette's, Ash knew.

He froze. The link between him and the girl he loved was stronger, somehow, than it had been before.

_Mare?_ He said tentatively.

_A… _Her words were once again lost to, presumably, the distance.

Ash stopped walking, ignored Jez's (who was behind him) protests, and closed his eyes. He found the string deep in the subconscious depths of his mind, and wrapped his fingers around it.

A rush of clarity swept over him, and he could, just for a moment, _see_ Mary- Lynnette. Even though it was obvious she had not bathed in days, nor had she slept well, her beauty shined through the grime.

_Mary- Lynnette._ He thought.

She latched onto his consciousness tighter than he thought possible and held him close. _Oh, Ash, where are you?_

_ Finding you, _he replied. _Though, I don't know where you are exactly._

_ An island, somewhere off that port down by Greenbay, I think. _She answered.

_Greenbay, _He thought,_ that hick town with the nice spice lady?_

_ 'Nice Spice Lady?' _Mary- Lynnette was mentally rolling her eyes, Ash could sense. _Isn't she a Harman? Aren't the Harmans respected by the night people? _

_ Yeah, _Ash thought back, _Sorry, old habits die hard. It's odd not having to watch what I say. That woman is Grandma Harman- the witch crone._

_ Don't get _too_ loose with that tongue._

_ 'Crone' doesn't mean the same thing to witches as it does to humans, _Ash assured her, picking up on what made her tone so sharp. _But we can get into that later, right now, though; I need to know where you are. Do you have anything else that may be helpful?_

_ The island is remote, there are around three houses. I'm being kept in the basement with a couple other girls. Two of them knew about the night world. One thinks we're going to be part of some big 'feast'._

_ Lily's, _Ash guessed. _It's her birthday soon, and she was at the academy-_

_ She wasn't just at the academy, _Mare put in, _she was the one who kidnapped us. _

_ Then Lily, _Ash decided. _But, we'll have some time. I think she's dead._

_ Dead?_

_ It's a- _Ash was just beginning to answer when he felt something… odd. Something out of this realm. Something…. His physical body.

His grip on the string loosened, and all of a sudden, he was slammed back into the real world- unfortunately, that world involved Jez in the middle of dealing out a pretty heavy slap.

"Ow!" Ash cried, stumbling back, clutching his cheek.

"Finally," Morgead said. "You've been spaced out for the past five minutes."

Ash glared. "I finally got to Mare and you guys end it before we really get a chance to talk."

Jez's eyes widened, than softened in sympathy. "To bad." That was the best apology he was going to get.

"What did she say?" Rashel asked.

"They are on an island, remote, which is to be expected." Ash said. "They're captives in a room with a couple other girls, some of whom know about the night world. They came to the same conclusion I did. They're being held for a feast. Lily's."

"Then we'll have plenty of time," Jez said. "It will be weeks before they figure out she's dead. There is no body."

"Still," Rashel turned around and set off at a brisk pace. "We'd better keep walking as fast as we can."

-8-

Mare bolted upright as the connection was severed.

"What did he say?" Fayth asked. "Did you reach him."

"Yeah," Mare said, a faint smile touching her lips. "He says the feast is probably Lily Redfern's. He also said," she leaned in. She knew night world hearing was better than human, and she didn't want to risk _them_ knowing, "Lily is dead."

-0-

Ash tried the rest of the day to reach her again, but it was no use. And, in watching him, Rashel realized something that both repulsed her and made her stop for a minute and just think.

_He loves her. He desperately loves her._

She hadn't thought someone like Ash was even capable of _understanding_ love, let alone _feeling_ it. Yet here it was, blatant evidence that he cared for Mary- Lynnette.

It nearly pained her- she'd never thought she'd feel pain for a vampire- to watch him. It was like when she'd found him. He was broken, and panicked.

Again and again he tried, again and again he failed. Each time, he became a little wilder. Less like a civilized person and more like a frightened, cornered animal.

"Give it a rest, Ash," Jez had said more than once.

"Maybe it only works at certain times of the day or something." Claire had tried to comfort him.

"Snap out of it," Morgead had commanded harshly.

Even Hugh had tried to work his calm, soothing words into Ash.

Nothing had worked.

It was Rashel's turn to try, she knew, but was avoiding it. She had no idea how to comfort people, and she had reservations about getting emotional with a leech.

"Hey there, Ash," She walked up to him that night as they were lighting the fire.

"Rashel," He murmured.

"How have you been holding up?" Rashel wanted to smack herself. What a stupid question.

"Fine. I just need to find Mary- Lynnette," He said. Oh, didn't she know it. Didn't they all know it.

"We'll see her in person soon," She said. _As if he doesn't already know that!_

Ash nodded. "She said the island is remote, but I bet I can guide you there."

"That's good," Rashel nodded. "When was the last time you fed?" She tried to keep her voice from cracking on the last word.

"I don't know," He said. "Sometime last night, before the dream message. We should try that again." He added almost absentmindedly.

"Yeah, we should." Rashel had no idea what else to say, so she didn't say anything at all.

-0-

Jez looked up at what she knew was a leafy canopy, but couldn't see. That happened a lot these days. Things that would have been as easy as breathing _then,_ were particularly difficult _now_.

But Jez wouldn't worry about that. Not anymore. She'd made the right decision.

Morgead plopped down beside her and sighed. "Ash is still at it."

"He'll pass out eventually," Jez murmured.

"I don't know," Morgead said, "You can survive days without sleep."

"Until," Jez added, "you pass out."

"Okay, okay, he'll pass out," Morgead sighed. "Happy?"

"Very," Jez continued to stare up into the darkness.

"So," Morgead tentatively said. "You and Hugh, huh?"

"Me and… what?" Jez sputtered a laugh.

"Hugh." Morgead shifted, "I mean, it just seemed like… you know. You and Hugh."

"Why would you think that?" She snorted.

"Just the way he acts around you. And you act around him." Morgead did the best he could to shrug while laying down.

"You don't sound too happy." Jez commented.

"I just… is it true? Am I right?" Morgead asked.

Jez chuckled. "Morgead, I met Hugh not even three days ago."

"So… no?"

"No." Jez affirmed.

"Right, right." He muttered to himself.

"What about you?" Jez asked. "You and Claire seem to be hitting it off."

"No!" Morgead's eyes grew big. "I- i- no!"

Jez laughed. "Morgead, I was kidding."

Morgead scowled.

"Come on," She sat up and nodded at the fire. "We're going to freeze if we fall asleep over here."

**Hey there! Long time no see. Sorry for the wait, I've become obsessed with Avatar: Last Airbender. **

** Ummm… summer is now officially here so that means A.) I will update more frequently or B.) I will not update at all. Who knows, right?**

** Anyway, please review!**


	6. New Leads

**Chapter 6- New Leads**

**The next morning:**

Jez knew today was going to be horrible the moment she woke up.

How she had managed to roll her way over to Morgead in her sleep, she'd never know, but she resented herself for it. She also resented that Morgead had woken up first, and then grinned himself silly when Jez awoke and realized where she was.

Jez, of course, had bolted up and across camp at that point. "Shut up, Morgy."

-8-

"So," Morgead said later, once they'd started walking. "Did you seriously want my company or were you just cold?"

"What are you talking about," Jez sighed.

"Your little stunt this morning, or, I guess it was last night." Morgead answered.

"It was an accident." Jez said.

"But… if there was a reason, which one would it be?" Morgead asked. "Because sometimes the body can react to subconscious thoughts- right?"

"Why does it matter?" Jez asked, not liking the current topic of conversation, afraid of where it would lead.

"You know how I feel about you." Morgead said exactly what she didn't want to hear.

She didn't reply, just continued to push through the undergrowth.

"Jez," Morgead sighed. "You can't just shut me out."

That's exactly what she did, until he reminded her, "You kissed me back."

She swung around and glared at him. "I was confused and flustered."

"Oh?" Morgead asked. "Confused? Flustered? Is that the best excuse you can come up with?"

"Don't start with me, Morgead." Jez said through clenched teeth. "I'd just learned about the blue fire, and I needed someo-"

"You needed someone?" Morgead raised an eyebrow than shook his head. "How can I be so in love with someone who tells me nothing?" That last part was more to himself than her.

"I told you about the blue fire." Jez defended herself. "It's not like I-"

"You didn't have a choice. And you didn't even tell me about it. You used it and explained later." Morgead sighed.

"Why does it even…" She shook her head. "You don't love me, you just think you do."

Morgead exploded at that. "Who are you to say that!"

"I've been in your head, in case you don't remember," Jez retorted.

"I remember everything about that kiss," Morgead hissed.

"And for that moment, I saw who you loved," Jez went on, "You're in love with who you think I am Morgead, not the actual me." Her voice broke.

Morgead shook his head. "I've known you for as long as I can remember, of course I know the real you."

Jez shook her head. "If you had any idea… your feelings would do an extreme 180."

Morgead shook his head, "Nothing in this world- no secret, no action of yours- could make me think any less of you. Nothing could make me feel less for you."

Jez closed her eyes, "Morgead, just let it go."

"Do you love me?"

"Just let it go." She turned around and continued to walk.

"I won't let it go," Morgead promised her. "Not ever."

**-0-**

Thea, despite Eric's reassurances that it wasn't her fault, couldn't shake the guilt.  
>"But, what if the creature I woke up took those girls?" Thea asked. "David's girlfriend, Mark's sister, the servant, and the slave! All of them gone and it would be my fault."<p>

Eric had shaken his head. "We don't even know for sure that there _was_ something down there, you can't assume-"

"Yes, I can. There was something down there, Eric, I felt it." Thea had protested.

This was why, when Keller stopped by and said she had time to check out the cave, Thea pounced on the opportunity, insisting they set off right away.

**-8-**

"You were pretty far out," Keller commented as she and the witch made their way to the cave.

And Thea, who was eternally grateful for Keller's saying she would help, said, "Yeah, we were." and skirted around a burned, shriveled bush that may, at one point, have had berries.

"I knew the fire was powerful, and it had spread pretty far, but I had no idea the extent of its travels." Keller said.

"Yeah." Thea agreed. "It went even farther in the other direction, or at least, that's what I heard."

Keller shrugged. "Best we can make out, the clearly visible damage lasts approximately the same distance in each direction, though it's nearly impossible to calculate beyond that."

Thea hopped over a small stream, and above them towered the rock wall. "Here's the entrance we came in through."

Keller stepped up close. "What kind of rock is this?" She fingered the slab.

"I have no idea. Basalt, maybe." That was another thing that bothered Thea. Usually she was pretty good at identifying natural materials.

Keller swung up and on to the wall, climbing and occasionally looking to Thea for directions.

"Ummm…" Thea would say. "The one to the left, I think. Yes, that one." It was never 'that one'.

It took a good hour for them to find the right entryway, marked by a dark splotch of what must have been Thea's blood at the entrance.

Thea led Keller through the tunnel of sharp rocks, and to the hole.

"This is it?" Keller asked. "The terrifying beast came through here?"

"No," Thea said. "This is just one way into its nest- it went out another way."

"Stay here," Keller ordered, then dropped through the opening.

**-8-**

The scent confused Keller. She'd never smelled **(smelt?)** anything like it before.

It was sort of shape shifter, but not exactly. She tracked it through the empty tunnel and out the other side of the wall, just as Thea had described.  
>And then… human foot prints? They were several days old, almost gone, but something struck Keller odd. The scent of the creature was much stronger out here than in the cave.<p>

Whatever Thea Harman was so scared of- it was close.

Keller sent one last look at the wall, and decided it would be easier to track the creature without the witch. She would only slow them down, and besides, a little anxious waiting never killed anyone.

She halted before the trail, then let herself morph into her other form: a sleek black panther **(it just occurred to me I haven't had Keller shape shift until now :S)**.

Keller knelt close to the ground, locked onto the scent, and sprinted through the trees.

**-0-**

Maggie, despite her life of high society, had never seen anything quite like Black Dawn. The spires, the balconies- even Hawthorne hadn't been this impressive.

"You grew up here?" Maggie breathed.

"Yeah," Delos said, shortly. "I did."

"And you had run of the house?" Maggie asked, drawing ever nearer to the front entryway.

"Ever since my dad died," Delos shrugged.

Maggie, who had been about to say something, suddenly choked up, "What is… that?"

"Oh, those are the slave stables." Delos answered.

"'Stables'?" Maggie asked, horrified.

"Don't worry," Delos pulled her toward the castle, "You won't be staying there."

"Delos, wait," Maggie said. "What… how…?" She gestured helplessly at the ramshackle heaps that served as living quarters. "You just_ let_ people live in there? They're _supposed_ to live there?"

"Not people, slaves." Delos said. "Maggie, come on, we really should-"

"Not people? How could you say that?" Maggie backed away, shaking her head. "They have feelings. They may work for you, but that doesn't mean they aren't just as important."

Delos shook his head, chuckling. "Look, Maggie, you're going to have to be a lot more careful. I'll let you get away with saying things like that, but if you don't watch your mouth someone else will most certainly end you."

"But this isn't right!" Maggie said. "And besides, you're the prince; can't you do something about it?"

Delos chuckled again, this time without a hint of humor. "Right had nothing to do with is. And neither does me being a prince. I'm nothing but a figurehead until I figure out how to get the throne back."

"Get it back?" Maggie asked.

"My father died when I was young, and I wasn't of age. By the time I_ was_ of age, the counselors, who had been ruling, had all the power. They are the ones in charge, and they care nothing for me." Delos shook his head. "If we hadn't traveled here ourselves, they wouldn't have sent anyone for me. They'd be glad to have me out of the way."

"Oh," Maggie didn't know what else to say.

"So, believe me when I tell you: if you have a complaint, don't come to me." Delos said. "Now, come on. We should get inside."

"Right."

**-0-**

Keller wasn't sure what to think of the boy. He was tall, about as tall as her when she was in human form, and he _looked_ relatively harmless.

Her instincts thought just the opposite. There was a sort of dark energy radiating from him.

_Well, _Keller thought, _I guess I owe Thea an apology. I'd just brushed off her worries, blaming them on skittishness. I hadn't actually thought there was anything dangerous at work._

How wrong she'd been.

The boy turned just then, and looked right at her. The undergrowth should have hidden her completely. "What is this?" He said, taking a step toward Keller.

She growled, warning him to stay away.

"Well, you're not that nosey witch, that's for sure." He stepped closer and sniffed. "Why, your one of my own!"

Keller didn't like that. '_One of my own_.'

"Now, let's not be strangers," he smiled, "come out."

Keller didn't move, his smile faded.

"Listen, shifter. Come out." His voice was commanding. Dominant.

Keller liked him even less, now.

He made as if to grab her, but before he could get a good grip on her, she pounced. Knocking into his chest, they both went down. Then, rolling so as to get behind him, she clamped her jaws around his neck.

He let out a strangled cry, struggled feebly, and then went still. Keller didn't even have time to think about why he'd stopped fighting before the energy hit her full force.

Dark and dangerous and strong, it coursed through her, bringing pain.

She whimpered, but did not let go. The energy just made her surer that stopping this stranger was all the more important. He was powerful, and most definitely not nice.

He slammed her repeatedly against the ground, in an effort to shake her off, but to no avail. It was then that he jabbed with his elbow and hit- on purpose or by accident she'd never know- a pressure point.

Her claws retracted the tiniest bit- but that was enough. He knew where to hit.

After that, it was he who had the edge, not Keller. She kept her jaw clamped tightly, and even after her back paws had been forced from his back, she continued to swipe, but all was lost when he let loose another bolt of power.

It blew her off of him, into the woods, and by the time she got back to the scene of their fight he was gone.

She searched frantically for him, knowing this was the only chance she'd get at killing him. He was weak, but he wouldn't stay that way for long. The realization hit her hard and fast:

_Thea woke a dragon. And I let it get away._

**Hey, guys! Sorry for the wait. Major… I don't know what it was. Not writers block exactly- more like I knew what I wanted to happen, I just couldn't get my fingers to type it.**

**Anyway, there you go! Ummm… let's see… excited about Mark of Athena (the cover, first chapter, _and_ summary have been released!) and hooked on the BBC series 'Merlin'. Obsessed with this band called 'Poets of the Fall' (love the song Carnival of Rust, in particular) and recently finished the second book in the _chronicles of nick_ (thought it was a little rushed and weird, but willing to give the third book a try)… that's about it. **

**How have your guys' summers been so far?**


	7. AN

**Hey guys!**

**Sorry about the long wait, and I'm sorry to say it will last a bit longer. I've sort of lost my drive for this story (don't worry, I'll still finish it, but it isn't as easy to write as it used to be) and, most of the time, I can't get an internet connection. **

**Again, sorry.**

**-killerbee07**


	8. Something of a Reunion

**Chapter Seven- Something of a Reunion**

**That night:**

Galen didn't sleep well that night.

He didn't know why, but something was off- and his mind was nagging at him to figure it out, set it right, and get some rest.

He sensed at one waking point in his restless night, vaguely, that it had something to do with Keller. But, by true morning, the revelation was forgotten, and he was left trying helplessly to piece things together.

-0- **In the morning:**

Thea couldn't believe it.

She'd woken a dragon.

It made sense now, all the factors coming together in one big, horrifying answer. The dragon must have sensed her powerful aura through it's sleep hazy mind and latched onto it. It fed, and became strong enough to wake.

The only good that came of this was what Keller had reported when she came back, bloody and torn up.

_"He isn't in his true form. I don't think he's powerful enough yet."_

That left the slightest chance the missing girls didn't have anything to do with the dragon.

But, that conclusion left another question in its place: What _had_ happened to them?

-0-

Keller was jumpy to say the least.

Her school had just been burnt down by a freakish fire, she didn't need a dragon to swoop in and finish off the ruins of the once-magnificent campus.

She started at every sound, narrowed her eyes just a bit at even the most innocent looking survivor- not that there were many left. Most had been sent home, or picked up by worried guardians. Only the stragglers- the types that usually spent the summers here too- were left. And, of course, various investigators- ranging from Night World to human, from professional to merely curious.

Keller had heard tales of dragons who could take on human form- that had made her wary of everyone.

-8-

The guard looked deep in thought, so Iliana was loath to bother her, but Angel insisted.

"Ummm, excuse me?" Iliana began. "Mr. Keller, sir?"

The guard spun with a freakish kind of agility and speed. Iliana backed away a few steps. "What."

Iliana flinched at the girl's harsh tone. "I'm sorry, sir, but I was just wondering: what will become of the academy?"

The guard looked her up and down. Perhaps if Iliana still thought Keller was a man, she would have been more frightened, but she didn't- and that she knew the guard's secret gave her a burst of confidence.

"I realize you may not be able to tell me," she stood up straight, "but I really would like to know."

"Can't." Keller said. "Sorry, kid."

Iliana nodded, and walked back over to where Angel stood.

"What was the point of that?" She asked, slightly annoyed (she always seemed to be like that around Angel these days. He expected too much and told her too little in return.)

"If the school is closing down, we only have a certain amount of time in which to carry out the plan. As it is, Galen had already left, and your parents- no doubt- have sent a carriage for you. It will arrive here any day now." Angel looked at the guard. "We need to hurry."

-0-

Ash was relieved when Rashel finally deemed it safe to show their faces in a town.

He made the best of a warm bath, decent food, and recent gossip. He looked forward to a soft bed, most definitely.

But, or course, the day couldn't go completely smoothly. That would be asking for too much.

"_James?_" Ash called across the large main room of the inn, recognizing a familiat face. "Is that you?"

James Rasmussen, a distant cousin of his, vanished from the academy just a week before Hawthorne burned. He stood, grey eyes wide. "Ash." His voice was more than a little unfriendly.

"James," Ash walked over to where his cousin stood.

"What are you doing here?" James asked.

"Just spending the night," Ash answered. "And you?"

"Same."

"So, where have you been?" Ash inquired, perching on the edge of a nearby table.

"Here and there." James said. "Heading back to the Academy."

"Don't waste your time," Ash said, slightly surprised his cousin hadn't heard.

"Ash," James sighed, "not everyone shares your aversion to education."

"No, not that. I didn't mean that." Ash shook his head. "I meant there's nothing left to go back to."

"What do you mean?" James's eyebrows furrowed.

"I mean it burned down." Ash said. "I know, I know, it's stone. But it did. Some kind of blue fire- witchcraft, maybe."

"It's all gone?" James clearly didn't believe him.

Ash shrugged. "I only saw the fire from a distance- I'd left earlier that morning. Only came back because I forgot something. It looked bad, though."

"Oh, well," James said, still a non-believer.

"Look, I know it sounds impossible, but I'm telling the truth," Ash got back on his feet. "Well, I suppose I should leave you to your…" Ash grimaced down at the bowl, "whatever that is."

"Please do," James agreed.

Ash sent one last look at him. "Whatever you were doing… away from the academy, I mean…" Ash shook his head. It was none of his business, and seeing as how what he was doing could very well get him executed by Night World authorities, he decided to leave James' problems alone.

-0-

Delos scowled.

"For the last time, what is it?" Maggie pestered him. "I happen to like Galen, he's nice, you shouldn't be bothered by his staying here."

"A Drache in a Redfern kingdom?" Delos asked. "For safety reasons? There's got to be something else going on. He's a spy, I bet."

"What's wrong with the Drache's?" Maggie asked.

He just shook his head. "We're different. Too different. And we only get along on documents. In real life…we're just too different. I don't trust them."

"Well, I think Galen's a fine young man." Maggie proclaimed.

Delos shook his head. "There are secrets, Maggie, secrets that are unavoidable in a place like this- and Galen is one of them. Don't say you like someone until you really know them."

"And what are those secrets?" Maggie asked, though she had a feeling she already knew.

"Humans… they aren't the only species on the planet." Delos said. "Which shouldn't come as such a shock, but to those of you who find out…" He shook his head. "Find out about us…"

"Delos, I know about werewolves." Maggie said, taking a huge leap of faith, hoping he wouldn't killer her on the spot for the admission.

"You-" He couldn't have looked more shocked. "You do? How? Who told you?"

"Well, see, Jeremy Lovett- you remember him?- he attacked me. He was a werewolf. And this blue fire, like the kind that burned down the academy, stopped him. After that, I did some digging," She explained, excluding her visit to Ash, "and it all came together."

"'Did some digging'?" Delos narrowed his eyes. "Again, I ask who told you."

"That's a secret." Maggie said.

"Look," Delos said, "if some Night Person is out there, telling humans about us, then I have a right to-"

"It wasn't his fault." Maggie interrupted. "I told him if he didn't tell me, I'd ask Jeremy himself."

"He should have let you- whoever this 'he' character is." Delos said with eyes like stones.

"I think he did the right thing," Maggie argued, taking offense to Delos's words.

"Humans aren't our concern." Delos said. "If you wanted to go talk to a crazy werewolf, then that's your problem not his." Delos frowned. "What else do you know."

"Not much. He didn't say anything besides that bit about Jeremy." Maggie said.

"Well, then, we're in for a long night."

"You're going to tell me?" Maggie asked.

"Yes."

"I thought you said humans weren't your concern."

"I can't have you looking like an imbecile in front of everyone." Delos snapped. "They would question my taste."

Maggie settled in for the explanation.

-0-

Thierry was tired.

Thierry was glad to be in a bed.

Thierry was terrified that what he was looking for lay just beneath him.

Thierry was right.

**Hey there!**

**Just wanted to let you know I'm going on a road trip and I'm not bringing my laptop so it is extremely likely there will be no more updates for 2 weeks. I am, however, bringing a notebook, so I won't completely slack off my stories!**

** - killerbee07**


	9. Another AN

**Hey there, guys!**

**I know it's been a long time, and I'm sorry to say it will be even longer.**

**I have MAJOR writers block and since school started, my life has been homework-centric. **

**Again, sorry!**

**-Killerbee07**


	10. Hopefully the last AN before a new chapt

**And she lives!**

**I really don't think sorry cuts it, and I don't have any good excuses other than "I was preoccupied with another fandom" (don't burn me for treason, please), so I'll skip through what was to be the bulk of this AN.**

**I just wanted to let you know how warmed I am by those of you who reviewed even after you knew I hadn't updated since last year. You guys are why I'm doing this. :D**

**I'm going to be editing part 1 and then part 2, just to reacquaint myself with the story, and then I'll try to be a good little girl and finish it.**

**Again—thank you!**


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